iPhone 7: Everything We Know About the 2016 iPhone

We expect the iPhone 7 release date in 2016. This year there will be a new iPhone that Tim Cook promises will include a new feature, “that you can’t live without.”

Here is a look at what to expect from the 2016 iPhone release and what new features we might see upgraded for the iPhone 7.

In May 2016 we see iPhone 7 rumors deliver more details, begin to deviate from the first leaks we saw and to give more information to the potential iPhone 7 vs iPhone 7 Plus differences. This is very common for this time of year.

We are starting to see new iPhone 7 designs and blueprints as well as new information about a smart connector on the iPhone 7 Plus.

Despite Tim Cook’s optimism while telling Jim Cramer on CNBC that, We are going to give you things that you can’t live without that you just don’t know you need today.”, analysts don’t all agree.

A new report suggests the iPhone 7 features will not be enough to satisfy users who are looking for a huge upgrade — which could mean fewer sales as consumers decide to wait for the iPhone 7s, which may include a huge screen upgrade.

The first Apple Event of 2016 took place in March to introduce a 9.7-inch iPad Pro and the iPhone SE. We did not see the iPhone 7, and while there is a chance that the iPad Pro hints at a feature there was not much foreshadowing.

The iPhone 7 release date and spec rumors you need to know.

Later this year we expect a new iPhone with a lot of new features, iOS 10 on board and new reasons to upgrade.

We also include what not to expect from the iPhone 7 in 2016, to help you set your expectations and be on the lookout for fake videos.

Here is a look at the latest iPhone 7 news and rumors, as well as what you can expect from the new iPhone in 2016.

The biggest thing to expect from the iPhone 7 release date is that it is coming in Fall 2016. We saw an iPhone SE at the March event and there is nothing to suggest we will learn the iPhone 7 release date at a June Apple Event for WWDC 2016.

What to expect from the iPhone 7 release date.

We expect an iPhone 7 release date in late 2016, likely in the fall unless Apple makes a major shift to the release timeline that normally includes a preview of new software in June and an annual iPhone release in the fall.

We should see iPhone 7 production start in July, which is when we could start to see more details from leaks, but don’t expect to see an announcement for an iPhone 7 event until August or September.

Last year Apple announced an annual upgrade program for the iPhone, which offers a fast and affordable way to upgrade from the iPhone 6s to a new iPhone in 2017. With the start of this program in September 2015, expect the iPhone 7 release date in September 2016.

iPhone 7 vs iPhone 6s: What’s in a Name?

Apple announced the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus last year, which followed the tradition of iPhone upgrades as outlined below for the last eight iPhone releases.

After the iPhone 3G, Apple stuck to using the same general iPhone design for two years and offering an iPhone “s” model. This includes the following models;

This leads us up to the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus that we expect to see this fall with a new look and new features.

What Not to Expect from the iPhone 7

It’s important to remember that there are a lot of talented designers making videos that claim to show the iPhone 7 design and features. Many will even say “Official” in the title. We won’t know exactly what the iPhone 7 looks like until the fall, but if you see a video of an iPhone 7 with a screen that slides out to triple in size or offers other crazy features, the odds are good that it is not the new iPhone 7. The video above is simply a rendering, and is not what the iPhone 7 will look like.

At this point we don’t expect a major screen upgrade on the iPhone 7. There are rumors that Samsung is working on a OLED display for Apple, but recent reports suggest it will not arrive until 2017. We continue to hear that Apple may be working on a huge upgrade for the 2017 iPhone.

What to Expect from the iPhone 7

Although the iPhone 7 release date is to far away for rumors and leaks to definitively say what Apple has planed, but there are enough leaks that we are starting to get an idea about what the new iPhone 7 could look like and what the iPhone 7 specs might offer.

Based on our observations of how the company delivers new iPhones to the market and other factors we have a short list of things we expect from the new iPhone 7 in 2016.

New iPhone 7 Design

The hallmark of a new iPhone without an “s” in the name is a new design. We don’t know what the 2016 iPhone will look like, but it’s starting to look like we can’t count on a fresh look for the iPhone 7 design. The iPhone 7 video below uses a CAD design based on iPhone 7 blueprints to highlight what the new 2016 iPhones may look like.

While the overall design is similar to the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, there is a smart connector on the iPhone 7 Plus shown above and there is a larger camera placement for the iPhone 7 Plus to allow for a dual-lens camera. The designs also show no headphone jack.

The backs of the phones match up with previous reports that claim Apple is moving the antenna bands from running across the back to running near the curves at the top and bottom.

Another important note is that this blueprint only shows a single speaker on the bottom of the phone, not stereo speakers like we’ve heard rumored.

A leak No Where Else, showing what could be the iPhone 7 dimensions. These are the same as the iPhone 6s. This lines up with a previous leak from Mac Otakara from the Macfun publication. It appears to show the dimensions and design of the iPhone 7 Plus. The overall size and design is just like the iPhone 6s Plus.

A potential iPhone 7 Plus leak.

We don’t normally see that type of similar look and style with a jump from the S version to a new number for the iPhone. Many other rumors suggest the iPhone 7 will be thinner than the iPhone 6s.

It is possible that this year will be a refinement to the iPhone 7 design, ahead of a major upgrade in 2017.

Based on the popularity of the iPhone 6 Plus and rumors of an iPhone 6s Plus in 2015, it is also likely that the iPhone 7 design will feature two screen sizes. We’re starting to see some interesting iPhone 7 Plus concepts and iPhone 7 concepts. The image below from Feld & Volk appeared on MacRumors combining iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus rumors into a realistic look at what may come this fall.

A new iPhone 7 plus concept offers a potential look at what is to come.

It looks like Apple will keep the same screen sizes, but rumors suggest Apple may plan to cut the headphone jack to allow for a thinner iPhone or more room inside for components.

A photo of what could be the iPhone 7 Plus shows the new antenna lines at the edges of the phone, a dual camera module and what appears to be a smart connector. The image below from Bastille Post shows what could be the best early look at the iPhone 7 Plus yet.

The Smart Connector could allow the iPhone to connect to smart accessories that can draw power while still leaving the Lightning connection available to use with headphones or another accessory.

We are seeing additional rumors that the iPhone 7 design will use a similar design language to the iPhone 6s, but with a flush camera and no more antenna lines on the back of the phone.

Photo appears to show changes to the iPhone 7 design from the iPhone 6s.

Another leaked photo shows a computer with an iPhone-like design on the screen. In this image we see a slightly different camera setup on the upper corner and we see a change to the antenna lines. Instead of coming across the center of the phone in two places, these lines are shifted to the top and bottom corners. In the image above you can see the changes to the iPhone design we know. This leak from Nowhereelse.fr offers a look at what could change, but it is still quite early to make a conclusive decision based on one leak.

An iPhone 7 leak shows a larger camera area and possibly a laser focus feature.

In a new series of photos from Weibo, shared by 9to5Mac, we get a look at what could be the iPhone 7 design including a new camera that is larger in diameter and with openings that suggest it could deliver a laser auto focus.

The iPhone 7 design may include better water resistance and dust resistance, which is a feature Apple upgraded unofficially on the iPhone 6s and that Samsung brought back for the Galaxy S7 so we could see Apple respond in kind.

Before you worry that the iPhone 7 design is the same as the iPhone 6s, keep in mind that this is a very early leak. Traditionally we don’t get a good idea of what the new iPhone will look like until summer.

iPhone 7 Battery Life

When it comes to how long you can use the new iPhone, the design could impact the iPhone 7 battery life.

A leak from China, by way of Apple.hdBlog.It includes images of what could be the iPhone 7 battery. This is similar in capacity to the iPhone 6 battery.

“The most significant ramification is that the battery will now be smaller in size (6 mm) and it relies on performance improvements of the operating system. Because there is more and more functionality and complexity in the operating system, it will be difficult to optimize the power consumption of the battery”

Blanco Technology Group is a mobile solutions provider that conducts diagnostic testing on millions of Android powered and iOS powered smartphones each quarter. This allows the company to share insights into the functionality that a new iPhone may deliver.

Better Camera

Expect to see a jump in the in the camera from the iPhone 6s to iPhone 7, and also from the iPhone 7 to the iPhone 7 Plus.

Rumors suggest the iPhone 7 camera will feature a 12MP sensor that boosts the overall quality of photos taken on the iPhone.

The iPhone 7 Plus may stand out with a dual-lens camera system that may include LinX technology to deliver a better photo with DLSR -like quality. Some iPhone 7 Plus rumors suggest the phone will even include optical zoom capabilities. The reports continue to suggest this is going to be a feature reserved for the iPhone 7 Plus, and the iPhone 7 camera will not gain this feature.

This may be the iPhone 7 Plus module with dual cameras.

We finally get a look at the potential iPhone 7 Plus camera module, featuring two lenses on the same camera part. This part first appeared online in January, but is recirculating with markings that previously linked parts to Apple. The image originated on Weibo, and was then highlighted on Nowhereelse.fr.

We are seeing dual-camera systems on smartphones with greater frequency, so this certainly makes sense for a high end iPhone 7 Plus. This feature may not make it into the iPhone 7 due to the added space this type of camera requires.

The video above includes a closer look at how the iPhone 7 Plus camera could work, and what it could do with a dual lens system. Macrumors created the video based on an Apple patent that includes recording at different zoom levels and even recording at slow motion and regular speed at the same time.

Makers of Camera+ show the evolution of the iPhone cameras in a comparison from the first iPhone up to the iPhone 6s so you can see the small changes from one to the other including the low light upgrade in the image below. See more comparisons from the Camera+ developer.

Every year the iPhone camera improves in noticeable ways.

You can see many upgrades through the various iPhone releases, including better detail, better low light performance and more. We expect the iPhone 7 camera will follow this tradition.

Headphone Jack and Lightning Port

As we briefly mentioned in the iPhone 7 design section, there is a chance that Apple will remove the headphone jack from the iPhone 7 to allow for a new design that uses that space better.

In May, a leaked part shows a 3.5mm headphone jack. This is allegedly an iPhone 7 part, which could mean that we won’t see Apple take this major step in 2016. Leaks later in May do not include the headphone jack.

This would push users towards Bluetooth headphones and to using the Lightning connection to listen to music with a cord.

We heard from accessory makers who are already planning for this removal with a focus on delivering high quality Bluetooth headphones and another planning to make a third-party iPhone battery case with a Lightning connection.

Fast Company reports that Apple could include wireless charging as part of the design, with a waterproof feature added in as well.

iPhone 7 Specs & Performance

As a matter of tradition the new iPhone gets a new processor each year. With the iPhone 7 we could see Apple go with an Apple A10 processor, although the name may change by the time this new iPhone comes out.

Pat Dawson explains what the new Apple A10 processor could add to the iPhone 7 experience,

“Apple’s earlier processors have been very good and A10 should be even better. A9 was dual core, but A10 is six core. I expect the A10 processor will be much faster and could have 20 percent higher performance and 40 percent less power consumption compared to the iPhone 6s. Though it remains to be seen what impact the faster processer will have on battery life, which we know has come to be one of the biggest frustrations of Apple users.”

We could see 2GB RAM in the iPhone 7 and 3GB RAM in the iPhone 7 Plus. If Apple continues with the current trend, the iPhone 7 should deliver more power and longer battery life to users.

New reports suggest Apple will use an Intel LTE modem in the iPhone 7 that could support faster LTE speeds. The speeds would depend on carrier support, so there is a chance that you would not see an overall increase in speed in most uses, at least right off the bat.

The iPhone 7 Plus specs may include more RAM, more Storage and a better camera system.

Storage

Recent reports reveal that Apple is looking into new storage options, up to 256GB for the iPhone 7 Plus, but it is not clear if Apple will jump past the current 16GB, 64GB and 128GB storage options.

A new leak from an Italian website HDBlog includes a photo of the SanDisk 256GB NAND flash memory chip that could fit inside an iPhone 7 Plus — allowing users to purchase double the current amount of storage on the iPhone 6 Plus.

The added space would be important given the new camera options rumored. Surprisingly the smaller chip in the photo is the 256GB flash storage module. This would allow Apple to add more storage even as rumors suggest a smaller iPhone 7 Plus size.

iOS 10

The iPhone 7 will likely arrive with iOS 10 on board. Again this is an area where Apple may choose to alter naming conventions as it reaches a milestone, but you can count on new software for the iPhone 7. Look for an iOS 10 announcement at WWDC 2016 in or around June 2016 with new features and visual upgrades.

What’s Next? iPhone 7s Rumors Pick Up

The iPhone 7 release date isn’t even here and there are plenty of new iPhone 7s rumors about the 2017 iPhone suggesting that it will come with a big screen improvement and there is a chance that sales this year will be down.

9to5Mac reports that Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities sees a slow 2016 because he thinks we won’t see, “many attractive selling points for the iPhone 7.” Kuo believes Apple needs a new design as well as important new features to be a success. This is even more important with the Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge and HTC 10 delivering more competition this year.

9 iPhone 7 Features We Want in 2016

Waterproof iPhone 7

1 / 9

Apple upgraded the iPhone 6s design to make it withstand water better than the iPhone 6, and there are several Apple patents focused on delivering an iPhone that survives in water, which gives us some hope for a waterproof iPhone 7.

With a new design Apple may be able to incorporate a water-resistant iPhone 7 design into a production model allowing users to not worry about using the iPhone near water.

If Apple is able to deliver this, it would likely come with caveats such as only providing protection for 30 minutes of submersion for 3-6 feet or less.

A report from FastCompany claims that this is a feature Apple will provide with the iPhone 7 by coating the components of the iPhone 7 with a special chemical. We’ve heard rumors like this before and Apple pulled the feature, so while it is exciting, make sure you check before dropping your iPhone 7 into the water later this year.

The latest iPhone 7 rumors from March suggest Apple will not deliver a waterproof iPhone 7 this year. This back and forth mirrors what we see with many rumors and we may not know until the fall.